Challah rolls are a sturdy yeast roll that are still light and fluffy. Great for sliders or all by themselves.
I’ve experimented with lots of breads over the years but never attempted challah. It is one of my favorites but I generally purchase it in those beautiful braids from the bakery. I just recently acquired The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread which is a cookbook from a bakery in New York and read where they supply several restaurants with challah rolls. I felt that if anyone could guide me through the process it would be these authors.
It was really cold outside and my yeast didn’t look that happy, the dough seemed different from regular yeast dough so I was skeptical when I put them in the oven. Not only did they look beautiful, but they were light and airy and somehow still substantial. I can’t believe I haven’t been making these before. They will be perfect for sliders or sandwich buns, but trust me they make perfect rolls.
The directions and descriptions in this book were so helpful. They gave instructions for kneading by hand or with an electric mixer (I used a mixer) and also gave so many helpful descriptions of what the dough should look like at each stage. Sometimes when you see a recipe where the directions are more than one page, it’s a bad sign, but these directions were just like someone was standing over your shoulder and giving you helpful hints. I want to try everything in this cookbook! I’ll let you know how they turn out, but seriously it was worth the price just for the challah.
These rolls are great to serve with Slow Cooker Carnitas, they’re substantial enough that they won’t fall apart after the first bite.
The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread
PrintChallah Rolls
Challah rolls are a sturdy yeast roll that are still light and fluffy. Great for sliders or all by themselves.
- Prep Time: 2-3 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: -27019529.666667 minute
- Yield: 18 1x
- Category: Bread
Ingredients
- ¼ cup very warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Instructions
1. In a glass measuring cup, combine ¼ cup of very warm water and the yeast to dissolve. Let stand 3 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup warm water, oil, egg, egg yolk, and sugar.
3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flours and salt. Add the yeast mixture and the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture. Using the dough hook of the mixer, mix on low speed to bring the ingredients together, then switch to medium speed to knead for 3 minutes.
Switch to medium-high and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and let rest for 10 minutes, then mix again at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. The dough should not pull away completely from the sides of the bowl.
4. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough to coat it. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 11/2 to 2 hours, or until doubled. A hole poked into the dough with a finger should hold it’s shape and should not bounce back.
5. Lightly oil the sides of a 9 x 13 pan. Cut the dough into 18 equal pieces. Shape each roll tightly into a round ball and place the rolls side by side, slightly touching, 4 across and 5 down the length of the pan, with only 2 rolls in the last row.
Cover with oiled plastic wrap and press down on each roll to make them wider. Let rise for 45 to 60 minutes or until nearly doubled in volume.
6. About 20 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 425º.
In a small bowl, mix 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Gently brush the tops and sides of each roll. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and reduce the oven temperature to 350º. Continue baking for 10 -12 minutes. Watch them carefully as you don’t want them to get too brown.
